Literally the BEST chocolate cake ever to cross my lips. It is dense and rich and moist and almost brownie-like but still in a cake way. It’s a Magleby’s copycat. You will not regret this! Originally posted in 2014.
A couple weeks ago, I tried to make myself a gorgeous layer cake as a belated birthday present to myself. But my cakes broke coming out of the pan. So I shoved them into a 9×13 and smeared frosting on top and ate it like an animal.
I shared my broken cake on Facebook and my friend Jane said, “Sorry about baking your own cake for your birthday. That is just wrong!” And I told her that I didn’t mind, because Eric had made me pancakes on my birthday and I ACTUALLY had to spit them out in the sink. True story.
GUESS WHAT. The Food Charlatan turns FOUR this week! My actual anniversary was on Sunday (but I don’t post on Sundays because Sundays are for family and cake.) My first post ever was Pumpkin Oatmeal White Chocolate Chip Cookies, where I tell the story about the time we brought cookies to our neighbor and he opened the door wearing nothing but a towel. True story.
A couple years ago I updated the photos on that post, which I kind of regret. That post is more important to me as a piece of my own history than as a traffic-driver. I still kept one of the old photos up, and the story is the same, but still. I kind of feel like I went back and edited my own journal.
Buuuut that’s one of the things about food blogging. It’s kind of like that part in Princess Bride when Inigo Montoya is all like “Father, guide my sword,” and it’s this epic moment, but then he runs into a tree and thinks he failed. But then, he leans on the tree, and the secret passage opens and he saves the day!
Okay so maybe if you’re not a Princess Bride freak that went over your head. What I’m TRYING to say is that food blogging is AWESOME and WEIRD and FUN and HARD and CONSTANTLY changing. And I freaking love it. It is crazy to think how far we’ve come from the days when it was just Eric and my mom reading my posts. I’m so glad you guys are here! It’s a par-tay!
How to make the best chocolate cake ever
And what’s a party without cake and candles. This is the best chocolate cake I’ve ever had, hands down. It’s a copycat of the cake served at Magleby’s, a restaurant in Utah. When they served it to me (I was at a wedding, one of dozens) I thought to myself, meh, mass-served chocolate cake. Then I tried a bite and was completely blown away.
I saw this copycat cake over on Baked in AZ (who has a beautiful blog by the way, definitely check out her work!) and knew I had to try it. It is so dense and rich and moist. It’s like a Texas Sheet Cake, only better. You know how the edges of a cake are usually dry? Eric and I were fighting over the edge pieces because they are so fudgy. SO GOOD!
So good that I made it twice. I won’t tell you how much that had to do with me breaking my first cake. But both times, Eric said to me, “Don’t make any other chocolate cake recipe ever again.” Maybe I will make this again on my 5th anniversary…or maybe I should make it at least 5 times before then.
UPDATE: I recently made a Homemade White Cake Recipe that you might also want to try out. Or try this Layered Cornbread Cake with Whipped Honey Butter Frosting!!
P.S. Do you have gluten free friends? Try out my friend Sarah’s Gluten Free Chocolate Cake! I’ve tried it and it’s legit amazing.
More chocolate!!
- Chocolate Cupcakes >> if you want ALL the chocolate-y goodness without the fuss of a layer cake, MAKE THESE!! And be sure to use my updated Creamy Chocolate Buttercream Frosting for ultimate decadence!
- Absolutely The Best Brownies I Have Ever Made >> No, I’m serious. I wouldn’t joke about this.
- Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies >> These are to die for.
- Cream Cheese Chocolate Cupcakes >> Gotta love the tang in these!
- Strawberry Truffle Cake >> These are definitely decadent
- Brown Sugar Yellow Cake with Chocolate Frosting: << this is today’s chocolate cake, minus the chocolate. Whaaat? It works, I promise.
- If you are on the hunt for The Perfect White Cake, try this one! It’s amazing!
- Death By Chocolate Cupcakes from American Heritage Cooking
- Whipped Chocolate Buttercream Frosting from I am Baker
- Crockpot Chocolate Lava Cake from Life in the Lofthouse
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The Best Chocolate Cake I’ve Ever Had (And a Par-taaay!)
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 1 cup salted butter
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup cocoa
- 1 cup white sugar
- 2 cups flour, sifted spooned
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup sour cream
Frosting:
- 1 batch Chocolate Buttercream Frosting, OR the recipe as listed below
- 1 & 1/2 cups salted butter, 3 sticks, softened
- 3/4 cup cocoa powder, sifted
- 5 & 1/4 cups powder sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease 2 9-inch cake pans with butter, then coat with flour. Then trace the bottom of the cake pans onto parchment paper, cut out the circles, and put them in the bottom of the pan.*
- In a medium saucepan, melt 1 cup butter over medium heat. Stir in the water and cocoa and whisk until combined. Bring to a boil over medium heat and boil for about 30 seconds. Remove pot from heat and let sit aside to cool.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the white sugar, flour, and 3/4 teaspoon salt.
- In another medium bowl, whisk together 2 eggs. Slowly sprinkle baking soda and baking powder over the top while you whisk. Beat until there are no lumps. The mixture may foam, and that’s ok!
- Stir in the vanilla and 1 cup brown sugar.
- When the chocolate mixture in the pot has cooled enough to handle, stir it into the flour mixture. Then add the egg mixture. Each time mix only until combined.
- Lastly, fold in the sour cream. DON’T over mix!!
- Divide the batter evenly between the 2 pans (I use a scale). Drop the cakes on the counter from a few inches above to get out some of the air bubbles.
- Bake for about 34-40 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through. Remove from the oven when a toothpick comes out of the center clean.
- Let cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then carefully loosen edges with a knife and invert onto a cooling wrack. Let cakes cool completely.
- Wrap the cakes securely in plastic wrap and freeze for about an hour or 2. (This is only so that it’s easy to frost the cake. If you are in a hurry and presentation isn’t an issue, frost as soon as they are cool!)
Make the frosting:
- UPDATE: It's 2025 and I have a new favorite Chocolate Buttercream Frosting recipe! Tap to view. Either recipe is super amazing! But I love the new one slightly more.
- Cream the butter well. Add the cocoa and powdered sugar in increments, adding the cream in between. Beat well after each addition. Add the salt and vanilla.
- Smear a bit of frosting on the bottom of a cake plate. Place 1 frozen cake on top, then cover the top with about 1 cup of frosting (I like to use an offset spatula).
- Place the other cake on top, then frost the outside and edges. If you don’t want your cake plate to get frosting all over it, line it with strips of parchment paper that you can pull out when the cake is completely frosted.
- Serve with lots of milk!
I saw the picture of this cake and had to whip it up, seriously yum!! It’s in the oven right now can’t wait to try it tonight.
Awesome Sherrie! I hope you love it as much as we do! I’m craving it again already :)
Congratulations on 4 years!! Just saw this post and had to say that your frosting must be the most luscious, gorgeous chocolate frosting I have laid eyes on – amazing!! And I often end up making my own birthday cakes too…at least it gives me an excuse to make something truly decadent! :)
Thank you so much Claudia! I think it’s kind of fun to make your own birthday cake. I guess that’s why we have food blogs though…lol!
Karen – congrats on 4 years! You are rockin’ it! Also, in case I never mentioned if before, I LOVE CHOCOLATE. Like, in a serious-cry-yourself-to-sleep-at-night kind of a way. In a good way. This looks awesome.
Thanks Christina! This cake would have you sobbing then I think :) You must try it!!
Chocolate. Freaking. Cake. It gets me every time. Something about fat, moist layers of a dark cake slathered in a delicious buttercream. Yeah, I’m drooling.
Congrats on the Anniversary! Your blog is beautiful as well, thanks so much! This made me laugh because I recently made this cake for my own birthday! :) And if my husband made me pancakes I am pretty sure I’d have to spit them in the sink too, haha! Your frosting looks so good. Next time I make this (prob. next weekend for another birthday in our family!) I am gonna try it! Also, I like that you used dark brown sugar as well. Yum! So glad you posted this and love it as much as we do!
Thanks Adell! I think as food bloggers we just have to accept that we are going to be making our own cakes, haha! Thanks so much for the recipe, it tastes just like Magleby’s and I was so happy to find it! My mother-in-law was with me when we made it and she is super excited about your whipping cream frosting. We didn’t try it but I want to next time I make this in a 9×13!
Happy anniversary, sweetie! I still read every word, though now I have lots of company. Both your writing and your photography are fabulous – I hardly even feel like it’s bragging to say so :)
Btw, we were wondering what to make for Gabe’s birthday- now we know!
Thanks Mom! You are the best cheerleader! I’m so glad you and Laura are making it. It’s LEGIT. You guys will love it.
hey Karen Chip wants to know if you will make it for him when we come! It is amazing! So glad I got to taste it! BTW your pictures look amazing. 😉
Anything for Chip! Of course! I don’t think I will ever get tired of this cake. Ever.
Yay for four years!!!!!!! I can’t think of a better way to celebrate a blogoversary and an actual birthday than with moist, gooey chocolate cake!
Holy wow!!! This cake looks fantastic! Happy bloggerversary and belated birthday! I am seriously swooning over this cake still. Pinned because chocolate is my everything! Thank you for linking to my Death by Chocolate Cupcakes! You’re so sweet! ps- I heart The Princess Bride too
Thanks Lindsey! You ought to be proud, I put “chocolate” into Pinterest and your cupcakes showed up above the fold. GET IT! You rock.
Like I said in facebook, I just want to do a nose dive straight in to that chocolate piece of heaven
congrats on 4 years! and this cake could make me a chocolate lover; I want to dive right in.
Oh my gosh, that looks amazing!!! It’s only 7:59am here. Is it okay to eat this for breakfast? :)
It’s what I’ve been doing all week Kimberly, so I sure hope it’s okay!!
Congrats on four years! Love the thick layers of chocolate frosting!
This cake look absolutely fabulous! And I get you about food blogging being a weird ever changing thing- but this cake is proof that it always works out for the very, most chocolatey, best! :) Pinning!
I don’t love homemade cake, but you have me wanting to try this!! Happy blogiversary!
Thanks Mandy! I’m usually a brownies-over cake kind of girl myself, but this one is a huge fat exception. It’s legit. :) :)